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CHINA 

More  than  one-fourth  of  the  world's  inhabitants  live  in 

China  has  400,000  people  to  one  doctor. 

The  annual  death  rate  is  from  forty  to  fifty  per  thousand. 
Only  6 per  cent,  of  the  school  population  is  in  school. 
China's  new  phonetic  alphabet  will  unlock  the  doors  of 
learning  for  hundreds  of  millions  of  people. 

With  a written  language  of  40,000  characters  only  about 
one  person  in  twenty  had  time  to  learn  to  read  and 
write. 

The  new  alphabet  has  but  thirty-nine  characters. 
Christian  missionaries  have  been  influential  in  promoting 
the  phonetic  system. 

The  Woman’s  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 

1S6  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


sup  45, 4 ly 

PEN  PICTURE 


of  the 


HUNAN  AND  KIANGAN 
MISSIONS,  CHINA 


THE  BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
Department  for  Specific  Work 

THE  WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  IN  THE  U.  S.  A. 
156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/penpictureofhunaOOpres 


Pen  Picture 

of  the 

Hunan  Mission,  China 


Mission  Established — 1900 

Stations  in  Order  of  Founding 

Changteh . 1898 ; 1906  Chenchow 1904 

Siangtan 1900  Changsha 1913 

Hengchow 1902 

Mission  Territory 

The  inland  Province  of  Hunan  in  South  Cen- 
tral China  extending  northward  from  Kuang 
Tung  Province  to  the  Yangtse  River.  It  is 
about  600  miles  from  the  coast. 

Outstanding  Features 

Populous,  strategic  inland  province  abound- 
ing in  waterways. 

Vast  and  largely  undeveloped  resources  in 
minerals  and  agriculture  with  an  active  and 
growing  commerce. 

Historically  important. 

The  Hunanese  are  stalwart  and  intelligent, 
making  industrious  workers,  good  soldiers,  ex- 
cellent administrators,  intelligent,  independent 
leaders. 


3 


Until  1902,  when  by  British  treaty  Changsha 
was  opened  as  a port  on  the  river,  the  people 
were  violently  anti-foreign  and  conservative. 
The  present  attitude  (1921)  is  more  friendly  and 
progressive,  responding  rapidly  to  China’s  in- 
tellectual renaissance. 

Strong  evangelistic  work  admirably  supported 
by  a growing  medical  and  educational  work, 
especially  in  some  of  the  Stations. 

Other  Missions  Operating  Here 

Wesleyan  Methodists;  Reformed  Church  in 
the  United  States ; Protestant  Episcopal  Mis- 
sion ; Seventh  Day  Adventists. 

Importance 

Hunan  is  a province  of  strategic  importance 
to  the  commercial  and  political  interests  of  the 
Republic.  Because  of  its  central  position  as  well 
as  its  great  resources  and  teeming  population,  it 
promises  to  be  one  of  the  most  important  mis- 
sion fields  of  China. 

Geography 

Geographically,  Hunan  is  a beautiful  province 
abounding  in  the  picturesque.  Natives  graphic- 
ally describe  it  as  containing  three  parts  upland 
and  seven  parts  water.  A more  accurate  division 
sometimes  heard  is  three-tenths  hill,  six-tenths 
water  and  one-tenth  plain.  The  rich  rice  fields 
in  the  plain  are  often  flooded  by  mountain 
streams. 


4 


Estimated  Area 

From  74,000  to  90,000  square  miles.  Ap- 
proximately equivalent  to  the  State  of  Ohio. 

Estimated  Population 

From  18,000,000  to  21,000,000;  an  intelligent, 
conservative,  substantial  people. 

Latitude  and  Climate 

25°  to  28°  north,  the  same  as  Florida.  Pene- 
trating cold  in  winter  and  damp,  debilitating 
heat  in  summer. 

Transportation 

Most  of  the  cities  of  Hunan  can  be  reached  by 
water  so  the  junks  are  numerous.  Of  vessels, 
with  a carrying  capacity  of  four  tons  and  up- 
Avard,  there  are  at  least  20,000  and  of  smaller 
craft  more  than  double  that  number.  A careful 
Japanese  estimate  gives  30,000  as  the  number 
of  Hunan  junks  which  enter  at  Hankow,  125 
miles  below  Yoeliow,  in  the  course  of  a year. 
Steam  navigation  is  in  its  infancy.  Small  600- 
ton  steamers  run  between  Hankow,  Changsha 
and  Siangtan ; and  there  are  a score  of  launches 
plying  in  and  out  of  the  province.  The  contem- 
plated railroad  line  being  built  from  Peking  to 
Canton  extends  beyond  Changsha  and  will  run 
through  the  length  of  the  province. 

Exports  and  Imports 

The  four  leading  products  of  the  province  are 
coal,  iron,  rice  and  timber,  which  are  very  abun- 


5 


dant.  As  early  as  the  year  1907  four  to  five 
million  tons  of  coal  were  sent  to  Hankow.  Addi- 
tional exports  were  sulphur,  lead,  zinc,  arsenic, 
manganese,  copper,  silver,  tin  and  antimony. 
From  the  last,  a very  large  revenue  is  received. 
Of  agricultural  products  besides  rice  there  are 
cotton,  tobacco,  tea,  bamboo,  lily  and  lotus 
flowers  and  beans.  There  are  further  exports 
of  hides,  horns  and  eggs.  The  imports  are  prin- 
cipally cotton  goods,  kerosene,  matches  and 
glass. 

THE  PAST  AND  THE  PEOPLE  OF  THE 
PROVINCE 

^t^UNAN’S  early  history  is  full  of  the  reputed 

^ P deeds  of  the  primitive  rulers  of  China.  Some 

of  the  most  interesting  of  the  traditions  of  the  past 
are  grouped  around  this  province.  In  more  recent 
times,  about  1854,  the  province  suffered  severely 
from  the  Taiping  rebels.  Changsha,  the  capital,  was 
invested  and  successfully  endured  an  eighty-day 
siege.  For  this  reason  it  is  called,  “The  City  of  the 
Iron  Gates.  ’ ’ The  soldiers  of  Hunan  have  a particu- 
lar reputation  for  valor  and  are  called  the  Hunan 
Braves.  They  are  now  considered  to  be  the  best 
fighting  material  that  exists  in  China.  As  in  mili- 
tary, so  in  civil  life,  the  Hunanese  are  found  in  high 
office  throughout  the  Republic. 

For  the  same  reason,  until  1902  the  province  was 
always  violently  anti-foreign.  It  is  doubtful  if  prior 
to  1880  a dozen  foreigners  had  passed  its  frontier. 
Mr.  Archibald  of  the  Scotch  Bible  Society  remarked 


6 


on  entering  the  gates  of  Changsha  with  a friend, 
“The  last  time  I tried  to  enter  this  gate  the  soldiers 
knocked  me  down  and  rolled  me  in  the  mud.”  In 
1902  the  British  treaty  stipulated  for  the  opening  of 
the  capital  city,  Changsha,  as  a treaty  port.  From 
this  time  on  the  province  has  been  increasingly  sym- 
pathetic to  foreign  trade,  foreign  education,  and 
foreign  mission  work.  “The  Hunanese  are  full  of 
character.  Probably  they  represent  and  have  profited 
from  a considerable  admixture  with  the  warlike  and 
independent  aborigines  still  surviving  in  the  prov- 
ince. They  are  noted  for  their  pride,  opulence, 
strength  of  mind,  tenacity  of  purpose  and  adminis- 
trative ability.  To  all  who  seek  to  attain  a close 
relationship  with  them  sympathy  and  appreciation 
are  essential.  Intelligent  and  possessing  a manly 
independent  bearing,  the  Hunanese  will  certainly 
show  themselves  to  be  leaders  in  the  new  and  re- 
formed China  now  in  process  of  creation.” 

Missionary  History 

The  first  preaching  of  the  Gospel  was  done  by 
Roman  Catholics  in  the  year  1690.  The  earliest  mis- 
sionary journey  by  Protestants  entering  Hunan  was 
made  in  1864  by  the  Rev.  Josiah  Cox,  the  pioneer  of 
Wesleyan  Missions  in  Central  China.  In  1875  the 
Rev.  B.  II.  Judd  of  the  China  Inland  Mission,  made 
a tour  in  Hunan  and  for  a short  time  rented  a house 
at  Yochow,  on  the  Lake,  but  was  forced  to  give  it  up, 
because  of  threatening  riot.  There  was  no  perma- 
nent residence  of  foreigners  until  the  year  1882.  In 
1892,  twelve  Christian  converts  were  baptized  by 
Rev.  Griffith  John. 


7 


Beginnings  of  Presbyterian  Mission  Work 

In  the  year  1872,  Rev.  H.  V.  Noyes,  D.D.,  of  Can- 
ton, made  an  itinerating  trip  to  Linchow,  the  north- 
ermost  city  of  the  Kwangtung  Province,  just  south 
of  Hunan,  and  as  early  as  the  year  1888,  the  Ameri- 
can Presbyterians  of  Canton  Presbytery  granted  a 
request  for  the  organization  of  a church  in  Lin  Wu 
Hsien.  This  was  the  first  Protestant  Church  in 
Hunan.  In  spite  of  persecution  on  the  part  of  offi- 
cials and  people,  including  the  destruction  of  their 
church  and  several  of  their  homes,  the  little  band 
more  than  held  their  own.  The  Christians  of  Lin  Wu 
are  poor,  but  they  have  been  able  with  some  help 
from  the  outside  to  erect  a suitable  building  and 
from  this  place  as  a center  the  work  branches  out. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  and  inspiring  results 
of  the  early  development  of  the  work  is  the  Church 
in  the  Mountains.  In  the  early  days,  several  Chris- 
tians fled  from  Lin  Wu  to  the  mountains  on  the 
Kwangtung  border.  From  there  they  established 
homes  among  the  sparse  population  in  the  valley  and 
went  everywhere  preaching  the  word.  A goodly 
number  believed  and  the  foreign  missionary  had  the 
privilege  of  preaching  to  the  Miao,  the  aborigines  of 
China,  within  the  bounds  of  whose  reservations  the 
Christians  had  their  homes. 

When  the  time  came  for  the  Presbyterian  Board  to 
open  up  a Mission  in  Hunan,  Rev.  W.  H.  Lingle  was 
sent  from  South  China  to  discover  the  most  promis- 
ing location.  He  chose  the  populous  valley  of  the 
Siang  River  and  the  large  and  active  city  of  Siang- 
tan.  On  November  6th,  1899,  the  Board  authorized 


8 


the  opening  of  the  Hunan  Mission,  and  on  March  3rd 
of  the  following  year,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Lingle, 
Mrs.  J.  L.  Doolittle  and  Dr.  Leila  Doolittle  took  up 
their  residence  in  the  city  of  Siangtan ; a few  weeks 
earlier  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Mission  had 
opened  a Station  at  Changteh  which  has  been  de- 
veloped by  our  Board  since  the  union  of  the  two 
church  bodies  in  1906. 

Scarcely  had  the  Lingle  party  become  settled  at 
Siangtan  when,  in  the  summer  of  1900,  the  Boxer 
outbreak  compelled  all  foreigners  to  withdraw ; but 
thanks  to  the  ability  of  the  enlightened  viceroy  of 
the  province,  Chang  Chih  Tung,  few  lives  were  lost. 
Mission  work  was  resumed  the  next  year  and  a re- 
markable change  was  manifest  in  the  attitude  of  the 
officials  and  people.  Formerly  few  Hunan  men  would 
dare  to  avow  themselves  as  Christians,  while  now  the 
danger  was  in  the  opposite  direction  largely  from 
ulterior  motives,  and  in  one  year  Mr.  Lingle  closed 
eleven  chapels  that  were  opened  by  the  non-Chris- 
tians in  order  to  get  the  support  and  protection  of 
the  Christian  name.  In  1903,  in  the  capital  city  of 
Changsha  where  a few  years  before  a foreigner's 
life  would  not  have  been  safe,  a three  day’s  confer- 
ence was  held  by  thirty-two  representatives  of  all  the 
denominations  working  in  Hunan.  In  1910  there 
was  an  anti-foreign  riot  in  the  same  city  and  the 
missionaries  were  again  obliged  to  withdraw.  There 
were  many  disturbances  in  the  year  of  the  revolution, 
1911,  and  there  has  been  much  robbery  and  looting 
since  that  time ; yet  in  spite  of  all  these  disorders 
mission  work  has  not  been  hindered  but  has  pro- 
gressed very  rapidly. 


9 


Development 

The  original  Station  at  Siangtan  lias  multiplied 
itself  by  reaching  out  northward  and  southward  and 
establishing  monthly  circuits  of  seven  or  eight  towns, 
each  under  a Chinese  evangelist  and  visited  peri- 
odically by  a supervising  missionary.  The  Stations 
of  Hengchow  and  Chenchow  to  the  south  and  Chang- 
sha to  the  north  have  also  been  developed  in  this 
way.  Taoyuen  is  an  important  Out-Station  a few 
miles  distant  from  Ohangteh.  Siangtan  has  now  a 
large  and  well-organized  institutional  church  whose 
many-sided  activities  embrace  in  their  scope  hun- 
dreds of  men,  women  and  children. 

The  work  at  Hengchow  and  Chenchow  Stations 
has  always  been  strongly  evangelistic.  Much  itiner- 
ating and  colportage  work  has  been  done  in  these 
fields.  Various  conferences  are  held  annually  for 
Bible  study,  training  in  methods,  Christian  fellow- 
ship and  spiritual  inspiration  and  development. 
These  are  largely  attended  b\r  delegates  from  scores 
of  churches  and  groups  and  are  an  important  factor 
in  the  work  of  the  Mission.  Hengchow  has  also  a 
very  large  and  far-reaching  hospital  ministry. 

At  nearly  every  Station  on  this  field  medical  work 
is  carried  on, — a very  material  aid  in  the  furtherance 
of  the  Gospel.  Every  cure  means  the  breaking  down 
of  prejudice  and  a deed  of  love  is  the  opening  wedge 
for  the  Gospel. 

Changteh  Station  was  the  scene  of  the  labors  of 
the  late  0.  T.  Logan,  M.  D.,  the  famous  and  beloved 
physician  who  for  22  years  rendered  skilful  and  de- 
voted service  on  this  field.  Here  also  for  two  years 
(1918-20)  was  stationed  “China’s  Christian  Soldier,” 


10 


the  remarkable  General  Feng  Yu  Hsiang,  maintain- 
ing discipline  and  inculcating  Christian  truth  and 
ideals  and  instituting  moral  and  sanitary  reforms 
both  in  the  city  and  among  the  soldiers;  through 
cooperation  with  the  efforts  of  the  missionaries  he 
aided  largely  in  the  winning  of  over  2.000  soldiers 
and  officers  to  Christ. 

Changsha  is  the  seat  of  a number  of  important 
Union  educational  institutions — among  which  are  a 
Girls’  High  School,  a Bible  Training  School  and  a 
Theological  Seminary.  The  University  of  Yale  has 
here  a fine  college  (“Yali”)  and  a strong  medical 
school. 

Note.  For  most  recent  statistics  of  the  Hunan 
Mission  see  current  Annual  Report  of  the  Foreign 
Board. 

October,  1921 


11 


Pen  Picture 

of  the 

Kiangan  Mission,  China 

Established — 1906 

Stations  in  Order  of  Founding 

Nanking 1876  Nanhsuchou 1912 

Hwai  Yuen 1901  Shouchou 1919 

Outstanding  Features 

A unique  demonstration  of  the  practical  work- 
ings and  fine  effectiveness  both  at  home  and  on 
the  field,  of  the  Station  Plan  for  the  support  of 
the  missionary  enterprise. 

A striking  example  of  inter-denominational 
cooperation. 

Vital  interest  in  the  Chinese  Home  Missionary 
Society. 

Other  Protestant  Missions  Operating  in  This  Field 

At  Nanking  Station — Northern  Presbyterian  ; 
The  Disciples  of  Christ;  The  Northern  Metho- 
dists ; The  Baptists  and  The  Southern  Presby- 
terians. 


12 


Union  Work 

At  Nanking  Station — Nanking  University  in- 
cluding the  Department  of  Agriculture  and 
Forestry,  the  Department  of  Missionary  Train- 
ing (Language  School)  and  the  University  Hos- 
pital and  Nurses’  Training  School;  Women’s 
Bible  Training  School;  Ginling  College;  Theo- 
logical Seminary. 

Location  and  Stations 

The  Kiangan  Mission  is  located  in  eastern  China 
in  the  Provinces  of  Kiangsu  and  Anhwei.  The 
name  of  the  Mission  is  formed  from  the  first 
syllables  of  the  names  of  these  two  Provinces. 

Nanking  was  opened  in  1876,  as  a Station  of 
the  Central  China  Mission,  and  Hwai  Yuen  in 
1901.  Distance  from  the  other  Stations  of  the 
Mission  and  difficidties  of  travel  led  to  the 
establishment  of  these  two  Stations  as  a sep- 
arate Mission  in  1906;  and  later  the  two  addi- 
tional cities  Nanhsuchou  and  Shouchou,  were 
occupied  as  Out-stations  of  Hwai  Yuen.  Mean- 
while improved  communication  by  boat  and  rail- 
way has  greatly  enhanced  the  possibilities  of 
mission  work,  and  brought  the  Stations  into  very 
close  touch.  Journeys  which  formerly  occupied 
a week  can  now  be  made  in  less  than  a day. 

Mission  Territory 

The  field  of  the  Mission  includes  not  merely  the 
four  central  Stations  but  hundreds  of  outlying- 
villages  to  the  most  of  which  the  Gospel  has  not 
yet  been  brought. 


13 


Population 

Nanking:  City  about  500,000; 

Ilwai  Yuen  about  40,000,  Station  responsible 
for  4,000,000  souls ; 

Nanhsuchou  about  15,000,  Station  i-esponsible 
for  2,000,000  souls; 

Shouchou  Station  responsible  for  an  enormous 
country  field,  open  and  ready  for  the  Gospel. 

Latitude 

Corresponding  to  that  of  South  Carolina. 

Climate 

The  climate  is,  like  that  of  South  Carolina,  hot 
in  summer,  in  winter  cold  and  damp.  The  tem- 
perature ranges  from  100  degrees  to  6 degrees. 


General  Conditions 


HE  general  characteristics  of  the  people  in  the 


region  of  the  Kiangan  Mission  vary  greatly  from 


the  more  refined  and  wealthier  people  of  Nanking  to 
the  rough  countrymen  and  robber  baron  type  found  in 
some  parts  to  the  north.  Nanking,  with  its  large  city 
life  and  long  familiarity  with  official  and  educational 
traditions  has  great  numbers  of  the  old  literati  who 
still  look  back  to  the  days  of  the  empire  as  the  Golden 
Age.  The  streets  there  are  swarming,  too,  with  stu- 
dents of  the  new  type,  the  boys  in  the  many  govern- 
ment and  mission  schools.  There  also  are  many 
students  returned  from  study  in  foreign  countries. 
And  most  numerous  of  all  are  the  poor  of  a great 
city,  most  easily  recognized  in  the  thousands  of  rick- 
shaw coolies  and  burden  bearers. 


14 


To  the  north  we  see  in  great  majority  the  farmer 
class.  There  are  a few  of  the  old  literati,  fewer  still 
of  the  returned  students  hut  an  increasing  represent- 
ation although  not  large  as  yet  of  young  China  as  it 
is  being  developed  in  modern  schools.  The  people  of 
the  north  have  perhaps  a larger  scale  of  living  than 
those  of  the  south,  and  as  a result,  living  expenses, 
wages  and  salaries  are  all  lower  in  the  north,  although 
with  the  introduction  of  railways  and  the  conditions 
following  the  World  War,  the  expense  of  living  has 
been  rising  with  leaps  and  bounds  in  every  part  of 
this  district. 


Products 

As  the  people  in  this  field  are  divided  into  north 
and  south,  so  too  the  products  of  the  country  follow 
the  same  geographical  boundaries.  The  Hwai  River 
is  taken  as  a rough  dividing  line.  In  the  south  the 
main  product  is  rice,  in  the  north,  wheat.  Those  who 
live  south  of  the  river  for  the  most  part  eat  rice  as 
their  staple  of  food.  Those  to  the  north  eat  bread. 
Along  the  valley  of  the  Hwai  we  find  a mixture, 
wheat  for  two  meals  a day  and  rice  for  one.  To  the 
south  there  is  an  abundance  of  cotton  and  silk.  In 
the  north  barley,  kaoliang,  a grain  used  as  a substitute 
for  wheat,  beans  and  bean  oil  together  with  the  many 
other  products  of  the  bean.  There  is  also  a large 
yield  of  sweet  potatoes,  turnips,  sesame,  and  various 
fruits — melons,  pears,  cherries,  persimmons,  pome- 
granates, peaches  and  apricots.  Eggs  are  produced  in 
large  quantities.  An  up-to-date  egg  powder  factory 
at  Nanhsuchou  disposes  of  thousands  of  these  daily. 
Soft  coal  of  very  inferior  quality  and  in  limited 
amounts  is  being  mined  in  some  parts  of  this  region. 


15 


The  Four  Stations 

Nanking — the  capital  of  the  Province,  is  situated  on 
the  Yangtze  river,  5 hours  by  train  from  Shanghai.  It 
lies  within  high  walls  that  have  a circumference  of 
about  23  English  miles. 

City  History — The  name  Nanking  means  “Southern 
Capital”  and  the  city  has  been  the  capital  of  China 
at  various  times.  In  the  year  1853  Nanking  became 
the  capital  of  the  Tai  Ping  rebels.  With  the  aid  of 
an  American  named  Ward  and  the  well  known  “Chi- 
nese Gordon,”  the  Imperial  Government  of  China  had 
reduced  these  rebels  to  subjection  by  June  1864,  and 
Nanking  ceased  to  be  the  capital  of  China.  After  the 
overthrow  of  the  Manchu  dynasty  in  1911,  Nanking 
was  for  a very  short  time  the  capital  of  the  new 
Republic  of  China,  and  it  was  here  that  Sun  Yat  Sen 
assumed  his  position  as  provisional  president  of  the 
new  Republic,  and  the  first  meetings  of  the  new  par- 
liament were  held. 

The  city  has  therefore  many  memories  interesting 
to  the  Chinese ; its  ruined  imperial  tombs  and  walls 
draw  many  visitors,  both  educated  and  uneducated. 
Nanking  is,  moreover,  an  important  city  commercially, 
socially  and  educationally.  Many  retired  official  fam- 
ilies make  this  their  home ; and  not  a few  wealthy 
individuals  are  interested  in  establishing  schools  and 
academies.  Numerous  government  schools,  ranging 
from  kindergarten  and  primary  to  normal  and  law 
colleges,  are  also  conducted  in  Nanking. 

Hwai  Yuen — This  is  a city  of  about  40,000  inhabi- 
tants, the  center  of  a large  farming  region  of  some 
4,000,000  people  where  no  other  Protestant  missions 
are  located.  It  is  situated  150  miles  north  of  Nanking. 


16 


on  the  Hwai  river  ten  miles  above  Peng  Pu  where  the 
provincial  military  governor  of  An  Ilwei  has  his  capi- 
tal. The  Hwai  is  one  of  the  six  great  rivers  of  China 
and  lias  been  a frequent  source  of  floods  and  sorrows 
from  the  beginning  of  its  history.  Lying  as  it  does  at 
the  junction  of  the  Hwai  and  Gwo  Rivers.  Hwai  Yuen 
has  a large  boat  population  and  does  an  important 
shipping  business.  The  city  nestles  between  these  two 
rivers  among  the  beautiful  pomegranate  groves  which 
cover  the  foot  of  West  Mountain.  Across  the  river 
the  East  Mountain  is  crowned  by  a temple  erected  to 
the  memory  of  the  great  Emperor  Yu  who  lived  B.  C. 
2200.  The  earliest  history  of  Hwai  Yuen  goes  back  to 
this  ancient  Emperor,  the  Chinese  Noah,  who  is  sup- 
posed to  have  had  a home  near  the  city. 

From  the  Summit  of  West  Mountain — As  we  stand 
on  the  top  of  West  Mountain  in  the  late  afternoon 
sunshine,  we  see  at  its  foot  the  supper  smoke  rising 
all  over  the  city  from  the  homes  of  the  people.  Look- 
ing away  over  the  plains  to  the  north,  south,  east  and 
west  we  can  count  400  villages.  In  a few  of  these  the 
Gospel  is  just  beginning  to  be  known.  Toward  the 
southwest,  which  is  the  best  evangelized  section  around 
Hwai  Yuen,  there  are  ten  or  a dozen  little  villages 
having  organized  schools  and  churches.  In  this  region 
there  are  very  few  villages  which  have  not  at  some 
time  or  other  heard  the  Gospel  story.  But  as  we  turn 
away  from  this  one  little  section  we  can  point  out  a 
few  isolated  Christian  communities  and  the  rest  is 
virgin  field.  A secretary  of  the  Inter-Church  World 
Movement,  after  a year  or  more  spent  in  making  sur- 
veys of  the  field  in  China,  pronounced  the  district 
viewed  from  the  hills  above  Hwai  Yuen  the  most 
needy  spiritually  in  all  China. 

17 


Nanhsuchou — Sixty  miles  to  the  nortli  of  Hwai  Yuen 
lies  Nanhsuchou,  in  the  center  of  a large  plain. 
Nanhsuchou  is  on  the  main  line  of  the  Turn  Tsin  Pu 
Kow  railroad,  two  and  a half  hours  north  of  Peng 
Pu,  and  about  seven  and  a half  hours  north  of  Nan- 
king. The  city  has  high,  well-built  wails,  which  make 
a commanding  promenade  from  which  to  view  the 
city  and  the  surrounding  country.  Nanhsuchou  itself 
is  a large  town  of  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants;  but 
the  field  of  which  it  is  the  Mission  center  consists 
of  three  magistracies,  approximating  in  size  the  prov- 
inces of  Palestine  in  the  time  of  Christ.  These  three 
magistracies  are  divided  into  some  five  hundred  mar- 
ket districts,  and  each  market  district  may  be  said 
to  contain  some  forty  villages.  Thus  the  field  for 
which  Nanhsuchou  Station  is  exclusively  responsible 
consists  of  three  walled  county  seats,  five  hundred 
market  towns,  some  twenty  thousand  villages. 

Shouchou — From  the  top  of  West  Mountain  at 
Ilwai  Yuen  we  can  see  the  Hwai  river  as  it  meanders 
slowly  down  from  the  southwest.  Just  over  the 
farthest  hills  that  lie  on  the  western  horizon  and  up 
the  river  from  Hwai  Yuen  a night's  trip  by  launch, 
is  the  progressive  city  of  Shouchou.  Shouchou  has 
always  maintained  a high  educational  standard  and 
has  always  been  in  the  fore-front  politically,  standing 
for  the  newer  ideas  of  government,  it  has  been 
called  “The  Backdoor  of  An  Ilwei.’’  “The  Key  of 
An  Ilwei, ’’  and  other  names  indicating  the  im- 
portance which  the  Chinese  give  to  this  city.  It  was 
at  one  time  the  capital  of  one  of  the  kingdoms  of  the 
Han  dynasty,  and  excavations  here  have  brought  to 
light  some  of  the  most  beautiful  pottery.  The  people 
of  Shouchou  are  very  proud  of  their  connection  with 

18 


the  past  and  of  their  reputation  for  progress  and 
education.  The  city  has  broad,  well-kept  streets, 
much  cleaner  than  those  of  the  average  Chinese  city. 
The  walls,  which  are  high  and  broad,  are  kept  in  good 
repair  and  are  an  imposing  sight  to  the  visitor  as  he 
approaches.  The  temples  and  ancient  landmarks  are 
kept  in  good  condition  and  in  constant  repair.  The 
city  is  largely  Mohammedan  and  boasts  of  a large, 
well-kept  mosque,  with  a school  in  connection  in  which 
Arabic  is  taught  to  a limited  degree. 

Missionary  History 

The  first  missionaries  to  the  region  of  the  Kiang-an 
Mission  were  the  Roman  Catholics.  Early  in  their 
missionary  career  in  China  the  Jesuit  fathers  estab- 
lished missions  at  Nanking.  At  Wu  Ho,  an  Out- 
station  of  Hwai  Yuen,  there  is  a Roman  Catholic 
mission  which  has  been  established  for  at  least  two 
hundred  years. 

The  first  Protestant  missionary  to  reach  Nanking 
was  a Mr.  Douglas  of  the  China  Inland  Mission. 
Shortly  afterwards  Rev.  Albert  Whiting  and  Rev. 
Charles  Leaman,  Presbyterian  missionaries,  arrived 
and  after  a struggle  of  two  or  three  years  with 
the  opposition  of  the  mandarins,  established  a Mission 
Station  at  Nanking  in  1876.  Mr.  Whiting  sacrificed 
his  life  only  two  years  later  while  engaged  in  relieving 
the  famine  sufferers  in  Shensi  Province.  Mr.  Leaman 
was  spared  to  give  nearly  half  a century  of  fruitful 
service  at  Nanking  and  died  on  the  field  in  1920, 
beloved  by  foreigners  and  Chinese  alike. 

Other  early  missionaries  at  Nanking  Station  were 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  R.  E.  Abbey.  Mr.  Abbey  labored  from 


19 


1882  until  his  death  in  1890.  Mrs.  Abbey  spent  over 
thirty  years  in  devoted  evangelistic  effort  on  that 
field. 

Shoulder  to  Shoulder 

The  Presbyterian  missionaries  were  joined  in  1883 
by  Rev.  Virgil  C.  Hart,  D.D.,  and  Robert  C.  Beebe, 
M.D.,  of  the  American  Methodist  Church.  The 
Church  of  the  Disciples,  the  Quakers,  the  Seventh 
Day  Adventists  and  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
also  established  mission  work  in  Nanking  and  in  the 
country  round  about.  Each  Mission  has  had  assigned 
as  its  share  a section  of  the  field  for  which  it  alone 
is  responsible. 

Perhaps  the  most  unique  specimen  of  union  work 
in  Nanking  is  that  of  the  Theological  Seminary. 
Presbyterian,  Methodist  and  Disciples  schools  of  min- 
isterial training  were  merged  in  one,  in  1911 ; five 
different  denominations  are  now  cooperating  in  the 
work  of  the  school.  It  draws  students  from  fourteen 
provinces  and  from  as  many  communions ; and  is 
recognized  today  as  the  leading  theological  training 
school  in  China.  It  forms  a coherent  and  mutually 
responsive  body  of  Christian  teachers,  cementing  to- 
gether the  various  communions.  To  the  development 
of  this  important  institution  Rev.  J.  C.  Garritt,  D.D., 
gave  unstinted  and  effective  service,  organizing, 
teaching  and  inspiring.  His  missionary  labors  at 
Nanking  covered  a period  of  thirty  years.  He  wras 
long  a member  of  the  China  Council  and  one  of  the 
most  influential  and  valued  men  of  the  Mission. 

The  Nanking  University  for  men,  Ginling  College 
for  women,  and  the  Bible  Teachers  Training  School 
for  Women  are  other  very  successful  union  institu- 


20 


T ions,  doing  effective  work  for  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion and  the  Kingdom  of  Christ. 

Missionary  Contribution  to  Conservation  and 
Commerce 

Special  mention  should  be  made  of  the  departments 
of  agriculture,  sericulture  and  forestry  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Nanking.  The  work  in  each  of  these  de- 
partments has  eo  commended  itself  to  the  attention 
of  commercial  interests,  both  Chinese  and  foreign, 
and  to  the  good-will  of  the  government  as  to  be 
largely  self-supporting.  The  School  of  Forestry  is 
to  a large  degree  responsible  for  the  great  interest 
taken  in  reforesting  barren  hills  around  Nanking  as 
well  as  other  districts  even  as  far  away  as  Shantung. 
Experiments  are  being  made  in  cotton  to  improve 
the  native  Chinese  variety  and  a measure  of  success 
has  been  attained.  The  experiments  in  silk  culture 
have  done  much  to  improve  the  native  methods  and 
have  attracted  world-wide  attention. 

Chinese  Home  Missionaries 

A most  vital  interest  of  the  churches  of  the  Kiangan 
Mission  is  the  Chinese  Home  Missionary  Society. 
This  Society  was  formed  in  the  summer  of  1920,  and 
in  September,  1921,  it  numbered  about  2,000  mem- 
bers. representing  18  provinces  and  Chinese  Chris- 
tians abroad.  They  had  received  up  to  that  date  over 
$30,000.  In  the  fall  of  1920,  they  sent  out  a little 
party  of  missionaries,  one  man  and  four  women,  to 
the  Tai  in  Yunnan  Province.  The  Tai  spread  them- 
selves over  the  country  we  call  China  before  Moses 
was  born  and  their  descendants  still  occupy  portions 
of  southern  China  and  northern  Siam.  The  distance 


21 


travelled  was  great  and  difficult.  This  part  of  China 
is  as  foreign  to  these  missionaries  as  China  is  to  us. 
The  people  and  language  and  dress  and  customs  are 
different  from  what  they  have  ever  known.  The  little 
party  of  recruits  visited  many  churches  before  they 
left,  and  the  Chinese  Christians  were  extremely 
pleased  to  hear  the  missionaries  they  were  sending 
forth.  The  offering  taken  included  rings,  hair  orna- 
ments, brooches  and  pins. 

Beginnings  in  Hwai  Yuen 

Ilwai  Yuen  was  first  started  as  an  Out-station  of 
Nanking  just  before  the  Boxer  uprising  in  1900. 
Rev.  W.  N.  Crozier  and  Rev.  W.  J.  Drummond  made 
a tour  throughout  the  Hwai  Yuen  District.  With 
rare  exceptions  the  advances  of  the  missionaries 
were  met  with  disfavor  and  sometimes  with  abuse 
by  the  local  Chinese. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  after  the  Boxer  uprising 
that  the  inland  work  of  the  Mission  was  really 
started  with  the  opening  of  the  Hwai  Yuen  Station 
by  Rev.  Edwin  C.  Lobenstine,  Miss  Rose  Lobenstine, 
Rev.  DuBois  S.  Morris,  Samuel  Cochran,  M.D.,  and 
Mrs.  Cochran,  and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  James  B.  Cochran. 
These  pioneers  Avere  joined  a little  later  by  Miss 
Rose  Hoffman,  a trained  nurse  who  later  became 
Mrs.  Lobenstine. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Station  it  Avas  decided  to 
live  as  close  to  the  Chinese  as  possible  and  to  this 
end  all  Avore  Chinese  clothes  and  the  men  Avore  their 
hair  doAvn  their  backs  in  queues  of  various  length. 
Yet  in  spite  of  this  they  were  often  greeted  with 
shoAvers  of  mud,  stones  and  filth  and  with  epithets 


22 


of  the  vilest  character  by  the  conservative  Chinese 
of  northern  Anhwei,  who  hated  and  to  a great  degree 
still  hate  everything  foreign.  However,  this  feeling, 
anti-foreign  rather  than  anti-Christian,  is  slowly 
wearing  away  so  that  in  places  where  insults  have 
been  received  in  the  past  with  at  least  the  knowledge 
of  the  officials,  the  members  of  the  Station  are  now 
often  welcomed  with  feasting  by  the  magistrates. 
This  change  in  the  attitude  of  the  people  comes  from 
their  observation  of  the  fruits  of  Christianity  as  evi- 
denced especially  in  three  phases  of  the  mission 
work, — famine  relief,  hospital  work  and  the  schools. 

Results  of  Two  Decades  of  Missionary  Effort 

There  are  today  (1921)  after  less  than  twenty 
years  of  work,  about  six  hundred  baptized  Christians 
and  over  one  thousand  active  inquirers  in  this  dis- 
trict around  Hwai  Yuen. 

The  local  church  of  Hwai  Yuen  has  a fine  building ; 
it  supports  its  own  pastor  and  bears  the  general 
church  expenses,  gives  to  missions  and  is  now  pre- 
paring to  release  two  of  the  Out-station  churches  to 
form  their  own  sessions. 

During  clinic  hours  the  unusually  quiet  street  out- 
side the  two  hospitals  is  so  crowded  and  busy  with 
the  sick  and  those  bringing  the  sick  that  it  resembles 
a large  market  town  on  a fair  day.  Both  of  these 
hospitals  were  built  and  endowed  by  members  of 
the  congregation  of  the  supporting  church  in  America. 

An  appealing  activity  of  this  Station  is  the  Baby 
Welfare  Work  carried  on  in  a temple  loaned  by  the 
city,  where  little  baby  girls,  who  have  been  thrown 
out  by  their  families  are  rescued  and  cared  for  until 


23 


homes  may  be  found  for  them.  This  foundation 
work  is  full  of  promise.  The  Station  has  also  a kin- 
dergarten, a self-supporting  industrial  class  for 
women,  with  half  day  study  of  the  Bible,  and  a 
woman's  school. 

The  Station  Plan  Demonstrated 

The  Hwai  Yuen  Station  has  from  the  outset  been 
supported  by  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church  of 
New  York  City.  It  is  an  interesting  and  suggestive 
fact  that  the  enterprise  was  inaugurated  at  the  in- 
stance of  the  Christian  Endeavor  Society  of  the 
church.  The  society  numbering  some  fifty  or  sixty 
members  requested  the  congregation  to  undertake 
the  support  of  a missionary  of  its  OAvn  and  empha- 
sized the  request  with  an  offering  of  five  hundred 
dollars  toward  the  proposed  enterprise. 

At  that  time  very  few  Presbyterian  churches  had 
taken  such  a step  and  action  was  for  a time  delayed 
from  the  fear  that  the  new  enterprise  would  curtail 
the  interest  of  the  congregation  in  the  general 
work  of  the  Board.  The  result  has  been  the  reverse. 
AVith  the  development  of  the  Station  the  missionary 
interest  of  the  church  in  world-wide  missions  has 
grown.  Without  lessening  its  gifts  to  this  cause  it 
has  expended  upon  the  Hwai  Yuen  enterprise  thous- 
ands of  dollars  and  is  well  satisfied  with  its  invest- 
ment. As  the  demands  of  the  growing  work  at  Hwai 
Yuen  have  enlarged,  the  missionary  zeal  of  the  church 
has  deepened  and  the  response  has  been  personal, 
hearty  and  immediate. 

Nanhsuchou  Station  is  the  specific  work  on  the 
foreign  field  of  the  Madison  Avenue  Church  of  New 


24 


York  City.  It  was  opened  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Thomas 
F.  Carter  and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  George  C.  Hood  in  1912. 
They  had  spent  their  years  of  language  study  and 
preparation  in  Hwai  Yuen  and  helped  greatly  in 
the  Famine  Relief  Work.  The  fact  that  the  people 
of  Nanhsuchou  were  very  progressive  and  welcomed 
the  foreigners  made  the  first  days  there  much  easier. 
The  city  loaned  temples  for  the  establishment  of 
schools  and  later  gave  the  missionaries  land  for  the 
building  of  a hospital. 

The  agricultural  work  at  Nanhsuchou  has  been 
unique.  Much  has  been  done  toward  helping  the 
farmers  of  today  in  addition  to  the  training  given 
in  the  Boys’  School  to  the  farmers  that  are  to  be. 
Classes  have  been  attended  by  land  owners  from 
Nanhsuchou  and  neighboring  towns.  The  new  kin- 
dergarten is  the  people’s  own  gift  with  the  exception 
of  $500  from  America.  The  native  offerings  ranged 
from  a single  penny  to  $100.  The  Station  conducts 
a girls’  and  a boys’  school  and  several  village  schools. 
Classes  for  men  and  for  women  are  also  held  and 
are  very  successful.  A church  has  been  organized 
and  has  already  (1921)  about  75  members.  In  the 
various  classes  for  Bible  study  about  150  are  now 
enrolled.  A daily  Vacation  Bible  School  for  Young 
China  has  been  held.  Much  time  is  given  to  itinera- 
tion in  the  villages  by  the  missionaries  aided  by 
teams  of  native  evangelists,  and  several  preaching 
places  have  been  established  in  the  county. 

Shouchou,  the  newest  Station  of  the  Mission,  was 
organized  in  1919  and  is  supported  by  the  Westmin- 
ster Guild.  The  work  in  this  city  was  first  started 
by  the  China  Inland  Mission  which  had  a small 


25 


chapel  here  for  a few  years.  They  were,  however, 
able  to  give  but  little  time  to  this  work  and  turned 
it  over  to  the  Hwai  Yuen  Station  at  an  early  date. 
When  the  first  missionaries  from  Hwai  Yuen  went 
to  Shouchou,  they  were  received  with  showers  of 
stone  and  filth  by  an  anti-foreign  mob,  but  now  the 
residents  of  this  beautiful  little  city  are  most  cordial 
in  their  relations  with  the  missionaries.  Already 
there  is  a boys’  school  with  some  twenty  pupils,  a 
large  girls’  school  and  a group  of  some  twenty  or 
thirty  Christians.  Land  has  been  obtained  in  the 
best  portion  of  the  city,  quite  ample  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  work  for  several  years.  Shouchou  has 
also  a small  well  developed  country  field  and  an 
enormous  country  field  open  and  ready  for  the  Gos- 
pel as  soon  as  people  can  be  found  to  go  and 
teach  them. 

Mutual  Helpfulness 

The  Stations  of  the  Mission  are  united  in  a most 
helpful  way.  At  present  (1921)  Nanhsuchou  has 
no  high  school  and  therefore  sends  to  Hwai  Yuen  a 
large  group  of  high  school  pupils.  The  graduates  of 
the  high  school  at  Hwai  Yuen  look  largely  to  Nan- 
king for  their  college  and  theological  training. 

Another  feature  working  for  the  strength  of  the 
Mission  is  the  mutual  love  and  cooperation  between 
Chinese  and  foreign  workers.  There  is  throughout 
the  Mission  a deep  feeling  of  close  fellowship,  which 
oils  the  wheels  of  progress  and  greatly  helps  with 
the  efficiency  of  the  program  for  making  this  region 
over  into  a realm  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  There  is 
everywhere  on  the  part  of  the  foreigner  the  desire 
that  the  Chinese  worker  in  the  Church  shall  increase 


26 


in  influence  and  that  the  foreigner  shall  stand  in 
the  background.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Chinese  are, 
for  the  most  part  reluctant  as  yet  to  take  over  this 
leadership  and  there  is  a constant  desire  for  the 
advice  of  the  missionary,  even  when  the  leadership 
lias  been  assumed. 

In  Those  Days  and  These 

Allusion  has  already  been  made  to  the  changes 
since  the  early  days  of  the  work  in  methods  of  travel. 
When  Mr.  Leaman  went  to  China  in  1874  there  was 
no  railroad  between  Shanghai  and  Nanking  and  the 
trip  had  to  he  made  up  the  Yangtze  River  in  steam- 
ers. Arriving  in  Nanking,  it  was  necessary  to  leave 
the  river  boat  and  to  embark  upon  a small  rowboat 
in  midstream,  for  in  those  days  before  Nanking  be- 
came a treaty  port,  no  foreign-owned  steamer  was 
allowed  to  dock.  A houseboat  was  then  secured  and 
the  trip  up  the  river  to  the  west  gate  of  the  city,  a 
distance  of  five  miles,  was  made  along  a broad  canal 
which  skirts  the  western  wall  of  Nanking.  Later 
the  well-built  carriage  roads  between  the  Yangtze 
and  the  city  enabled  the  missionary  or  traveller  to 
reach  any  point  in  the  city  in  a much  shorter  time 
by  carriage,  and  now  many  automobiles  pass  up  and 
down  this  road. 

For  the  first  few  years  after  the  opening  of  the 
Hwai  Yuen  Station  it  often  took  two,  three  or  even 
six  weeks  to  arrive  there  from  the  coast.  Sometimes 
the  trip  was  made  by  canal  boat  from  Chinkiang, 
through  the  Grand  Canal,  up  through  the  Hung  Tse 
Lake  and  the  Hwai  River.  Sometimes  it  was  made 
overland  from  Nanking  by  means  of  sedan  chair,  mule- 
back,  wheel-barrow  or  on  foot. 


27 


Although  these  older  methods  of  travel  are  still 
necessary  for  country  itineration,  travel  between  the 
great  cities  is  entirely  changed.  The  express  from 
Shanghai  to  Nanking  and  the  connecting  express  be- 
tween Nanking  and  Peking  enables  one  to  cover  dis- 
tances in  a few  hours  which  formerly  took  weeks. 
One  may  leave  Shanghai  at  eight  o’clock  in  the 
morning  and  arrive  at  Hwai  Yuen  on  the  same  day. 
There  is  a through  aeroplane  mail  and  passenger 
service  between  Peking  and  Shanghai  by  way  of 
Nanking  which  quite  revolutionizes  one’s  ideas  of 
China.  All  these  changes  in  the  methods  of  travel 
have  had  incalculable  influence  upon  the  missionary 
enterprise  and  it  is  reasonable  to  believe  that  China 
will  be  more  quickly  evangelized  now  that  there  are 
more  rapid  means  of  communication.  The  opening  in 
1896  of  Kuling,  in  the  mountains,  as  a rest  resort  for 
missionaries,  has  done  much  to  lengthen  their  lives  and 
to  render  more  effective  their  service. 

Now  is  the  Day  of  Salvation 

Now  as  never  before  are  the  people  of  China  ready 
to  hear  the  Gospel.  Nearly  everywhere  the  native 
Christians  and  the  foreigners  too  are  welcomed. 
Probably  the  greatest  opportunity  lies  in  the  field  of 
Christian  education.  The  Chinese  have  always  known 
the  value  of  education  and  have  had  ambition  in 
that  direction.  They  are  now  for  the  greater  part 
converted  to  the  new  type  of  education  which  is 
being  given  to  them  in  both  Mission  and  government 
schools.  The  Christian  school  has  a wonderful  oppor- 
tunity and  every  possible  help  should  be  given  to 


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make  our  schools  not  only  the  equal  of  the  best  of 
the  government  schools,  but  to  give  them  a perma- 
nent foundation,  that  within  these  institutions  of 
learning  may  develop  traditions  of  evangelistic  zeal 
and  strong  Christian  character. 

Note — For  most  recent  statistics  of  the  Kiangan 
Mission  consult  the  current  Annual  Report  of  the 
Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 


October  1921 


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